​The city of Ontario, CA is one of the first participants in a Southern California Edison pilot program to make electric vehicle (EV) charging more accessible. The program, known as Charge Ready, recently helped to install EV charging stations at six publicly available locations throughout the city.

Through the Charge Ready program, SCE is working with cities, universities, hospitals,and businesses to install EV charging stations at places where people park their cars for long periods of time. During the pilot phase of the program, SCE is providing infrastructure for hundreds of EV charging stations across its service territory, and the company hopes that approval a second phase will allow the installation of thousands more. The program also provides participants rebates for the purchase of the charging stations themselves.

Megan Mao, who oversees the Charge Ready program for SCE, says everyone benefits from more EVs.

“I’m very passionate about the Charge Ready program because electrifying transportation is the best way to help us all breathe cleaner air,” she said. “It will be good for our community, it will be good for our children, and it will be good for our future.”

Ontario locals like restaurant owner Michael Faheem are already seeing the benefits of the program.

“In the morning, I come in and I plug my car in the charger and I walk to my restaurant,” said Faheem, who uses his EV to make deliveries during the day. “It’s very convenient.”

The Charge Ready program provides increased opportunities for EVs, which could result in significant cost savings for the community while helping California reach its goal to reduce carbon emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, according to Mao.

This is just one example of how electric companies actively work to improve air quality and promote a cleaner environment by the use of EVs.